Wednesday, 3 June 2015

Ladies, how is YOUR pelvic FLOOR?

GUEST POST BY BECKY DYER

Ladies, how is YOUR pelvic FLOOR?

As a mother of 2 with a past history of
pelvic floor injury myself I have lived through my fair share of “I’VE GOTTA PEE!”moments.Physiotherapists are not immune to
pelvic floor dysfunction but we do know how to get rid of one.

I often ask my patients…Do you sprint for the bathroom as soon as
the key hits the front door?!Do
you struggle to get home to the bathroom and do you know the location of every
public toilet within a 3km radius of your home?If you're saying “YES!” to either one of those questions, your pelvic floor probably needs some
whipping into shape.

Did you know the pelvic floor is really
supposed to be strong enough to hold a good 2+ cups of urine, a baby, and all
of your abdominal contents?I know
it can be a boring, taboo or medical blah blah blah but the pelvic floor is
really quite an amazing part of your body ladies!I treat patients with pelvic floor dysfunction who are
trying to figure out what to do to get their muscles back into gear.Im here to tell you, it’s not so mysterious.The pelvic floor is just another muscle
but it just happens to be, you know, in a private spot. I’m going to tell you how to exercise this
muscle AND how to make 100% sure that you are doing your pelvic floor exercises
correctly.Listen up…

So incontinence, its a REALLY sexy topic
right?NOT!However, pad ads are trying to make you
think its a normal part of being a woman but I’m telling you as a woman myself and as a
women’s health
physiotherapist… it’s absolutely NOT ok to pee when you laugh,
sneeze, or pick up your kid!I
usually have a cringe when I see those incontinence pad ads that advise you to
wear a pad because it’s “normal” to have bladder leakage.Some marketing person has even made up
a name for it - light bladder leakage, eeek! it’s ALL a marketing campaign ladies.

So how do you prevent bladder leakage
whether its during a sneeze or during a workout? It’s pure and simple…you exercise the pelvic floor or, as I like
to say, the sphincter that holds all the stuff in that you don't want to leak
out!

How To Activate the Pelvic Floor- You need to visualise squeezing, lifting
and holding the pelvic floor up as if you're trying not to pee or pass wind (or
toot as my sweet granny used to say!)It is the exact opposite of what you do when you bear down to do a poo,
instead of pushing, think hold it in.

How Do I Know If I’m Doing it Right? - The best and ONLY way to know if you're
actually doing pelvic floor exercises correctly is to … get hands on.You place your index and middle finger into the vagina (you
know where the tampon goes) then turn on your pelvic floor and assess what’s happening with your muscles. I know, I
know…
it’s kinda gross but c’mon, do you really want pay someone else to
do this for you?It’s not brain surgery girls it just takes a
bit of bravery.Also, a hand held
mirror a locked door and some KY jelly seem to help as well.With your fingers held inside your
vagina in a “V” shape, you should feel a squeeze AND a lift
as you turn on your pelvic floor muscles.Try holding this for 5 seconds then relax.Try this a few times to get the hang of it.

If you didn't feel anything happening,
you're not activating the pelvic floor muscles properly so keep trying AND
palpate using your fingers.If you
felt a muscle flicker then nada, the pelvic floor knows how to activate but has
NO endurance so keep practicing to increase your strength.Count how long you can actually hold a
contraction then make that your personal best.For example if your PB is 3 seconds then this is where you
start do 3 second holds x 3 reps, 5 x daily.If you can hold a contraction for 5 seconds, then do a 5
second holds x 5 reps 5 x daily. Progress your exercises by one second each
week with the below schedule.

3 sec hold x 3 reps 5 x daily

4 sec hold x 4 reps 5 x daily

5 sec hold x 5 reps 5 x daily

Each week progress up to…

10 sec hold x 10 reps and you only need to
do1 X DAILY from then on… forever!

Remember use it or lose it, if you don't
exercise a muscle it gets weak and functions poorly.The good news is, if you are doing any type of exercise that
focuses on core strengthening, then you're exercising your pelvic floor at the
same time i.e. Pilates, some yoga, or my online Body Beyond Birth program.

But don't be too hard on yourself, if you
have really given it your all with exercise and your pelvic floor still won’t come to the party, then its time to call
in reinforcements.Make sure you
get a referral to a pelvic floor physiotherapist, or visit an OB or gynaecologist.Good luck with your pelvic floor
workout mums and spread the word that it’s normal to do pelvic floor exercises
daily, not to wear a pad just in case.

Disclaimer:

I am not a doctor or a qualified professional! I am not here to cure illness or disease. But I am a mum with a passion for providing ourselves and our children with the healthiest, most nutrient rich way of living! Please consult your doctor or naturopath before trying any of the crazy things you read on this blog.

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